1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention generally relates to toothpaste and more particularly to a droplet of toothpaste configured to be embedded into the bristles of a toothbrush.
2. Description of the Related Art
People are encouraged to use toothpaste at least twice daily and believe that toothpaste is a completely safe health care product. Most toothpaste contains fluoride because fluoride helps to prevent dental cavities and dental decay. Fluoride, however, can cause health risks as well. For example, poisoning may occur following excessive ingestion of a fluoride-containing product such as toothpaste. In 1997, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) started to require a warning on toothpastes containing fluoride. The FDA warning cautions users “If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately”. In 2006, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reported 22,168 exposures involving toothpaste with fluoride and in 2007 the AAPCC reported 24,237 exposures involving toothpaste with fluoride (AAPCC Annual Reports available on the website www.aapcc.org). In other cases, the toxic effects following ingestion of toothpaste can result in gastrointestinal discomfort, e.g., severe stomachaches and diarrhea. Moreover, the ingestion of fluoride can cause a discoloration of the teeth called dental fluorosis. Fluoride produces dental fluorosis by damaging the cells that produce the tooth's enamel during formation of the tooth. Dental fluorosis appears as a range of cosmetic changes varying from white spots on the teeth to brown stains. In severe cases, the teeth are pitted and fragile.
The risk of excessive ingestion of toothpaste is not prevented by the traditional tubes of toothpaste. Traditional tubes and pumps do not provide users with an appropriate quantity of toothpaste on their toothbrush. Thus, the amount of toothpaste used for brushing cannot be determined nor controlled. In addition to the health risks due to ingestion of toothpaste, the traditional tubes present other disadvantages. For example, traditional tubes frequently cause waste and mess of toothpaste. In addition, there is an environmental cost due to the number of empty toothpaste tubes as these traditional tubes require an extended time period to degrade.
One attempt to resolve these issues included providing a single use chewable capsule containing toothpaste and/or toothbrush kit with a means for receiving a capsule of toothpaste. However, the risk of swallowing capsules of toothpaste still exists insofar as the capsules cannot hold onto the brush and the toothbrush kit includes a toothpaste delivery system that requires some adaptation to retain the capsules of toothpaste.